Non-native fish occurrence and biomass in 1943 Western Palearctic lakes and reservoirs and their abiotic and biotic correlates

Trochine, Carolina; Brucet, Sandra; Argillier, Christine; Arranz, Ignasi; Beklioglu, Meryem; Benejam, Lluıs; Ferreira, Teresa; Hesthagen, Trygve; Holmgren, Kerstin; Jeppesen, Erik; Kelly, Fiona; Krause, Teet; Rask, Martti; Volta, Pietro; Winfield, Ian J.; Mehner, Thomas. 2018 Non-native fish occurrence and biomass in 1943 Western Palearctic lakes and reservoirs and their abiotic and biotic correlates. Ecosystems, 21 (3). 395-409. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-017-0156-6

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10021-017-0156-6

Abstract/Summary

Invasion of non-native species is considered a major threat to global biodiversity. Here we present a comprehensive overview of the occurrence, richness and biomass contribution of non-native fish species in 1943 standing water bodies from 14 countries of the Western Palearctic, based on standardised fish catches by multi-mesh gillnetting. We expected strong geographical gradients to emerge in the occurrence of non-natives. We further hypothesised that the contribution by non-natives to the local fish community biomass was correlated with local richness and the trophic level of native and non-native species. Non-native fish species occurred in 304 of 1943 water bodies (16%). If the average number of occupied water bodies per country was weighted by number of water bodies per country, the grand mean occurrence of non-natives in Western Palearctic water bodies was 10%. Exotic (non-native to the Palearctic) and translocated (non-native only to parts of the Palearctic) species were found in 164 (8.4%) or 235 (12.1%) of the water bodies, respectively. The occurrence and local richness of non-native fish species increased with temperature, precipitation and lake area and were substantially higher in reservoirs than in natural lakes. High local biomass contributions of non-native species were strongly correlated with low richness of native species and high richness of non-native species, whereas the trophic level of the fish species had only a weak effect. Single non-native species rarely dominated community biomass, but high biomass contributions and thus strong community and ecosystem impacts can be expected if several non-native species accumulate in a water body.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-017-0156-6
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Parr
ISSN:	1432-9840
Additional Keywords:	invasion biology, lake fish communities, translocated species, exotic species, invasion meltdown, trophic similarity
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	11 May 2017 10:58 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/516955

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-017-0156-6

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Parr

ISSN:

1432-9840

Additional Keywords:

invasion biology, lake fish communities, translocated species, exotic species, invasion meltdown, trophic similarity

NORA Subject Terms:

Ecology and Environment